Memories of You
by ReachingOutFES
Summary: "For every side shown, there is a side hidden, secret, rejected from reality. But what happens when this part becomes tangible? Even more so, what happens when this half...loves?" 1st Person point of view. Read and Review (Co written with Gin Nanashi).
1. Rank 1

**Author's Note: I am here to present with you all with a story that has been in my head for a while. I took inspiration from two fanfics. One of them was Miss Hanamura's Summer Festival. This one reminded me of a social link. The second inspiration was from another fanfic in which I don't know the name to, but this one had the social link with the other protagonist of Persona 3. Unfortunately, the author didn't continue after one chapter. I would like to thank Gin Nanashi for beta reading and editing! Please if you haven't done so please read and review In the Shade of Memory! Enough of my rambling, enjoy!**

**Sunday, April 19, 2009**

Lying on my bed, I was feeling a little sleepy when I chanced a glance at the glass across from my position.

There I was in the mirror's reflection.

The first thing that I noticed was that I was still in my school uniform, but I was missing something of great importance to me.

I looked up and stared straight at the image of my face.

My bangs covered half of my face and I blew at them, just to make sure that I actually still have the other half.

Idly, I wondered if my hair could be considered unnatural since it's of a dark blue color.

My eyes sought out their mirror image and found them to be a comforting grey shade.

Basking in my reflection, I was prepared to just fall asleep since Senpai will be taking us juniors into Tartarus tomorrow night when I heard a sound.

It was a scattered tapping sound and I walked across the room to my window.

Pushing aside the curtains, I saw her for the first time.

My visitor was a girl who looked beautiful enough to attract stalkers though she didn't look too worried about being victimized in the dead of the night.

She wore a light orange sweater that was accompanied by a red scarf wrapped snugly around her neck.

Her red plaid skirt would've seem odd to wear, given the cool temperature outside, but it was complemented by a pair of black leggings, which was paired with nice red boots.

She had rich auburn hair that was tied into a high and stylishly messy ponytail; her hair accessories, six silver clips that formed the roman numeral XXII, completed the look.

Her ruby red eyes seemed almost unnatural and yet they resembled mine–comforting in a sense.

Intrigued, I scrutinized her further and quickly noticed that she had an MP3 player dangling around her neck along with something in her hand...

"Wait a moment," I thought to myself, "Isn't that my...?"

Light glinted off of the small device and I was surprised to see that my MP3 player, the one that I thought I had lost in gym class, was right there.

I could've sworn that she didn't attend my school since I haven't seen her around before but, then again, I don't pay much attention and I usually sleep through class when I thought that the material was irrelevant.

For both of our sakes, I decided to meet with her outside.

I really didn't want to imagine if someone else got to her before I did.

Sneaking around the dorm was a bit hard since there would usually be someone awake just before the Dark Hour.

Luckily, Mitsuru-senpai believed my little white lie about needing a bit of fresh air.

Gently closing the door, I managed to catch her attention.

"Oh, there you are. I was wondering if you were going to come at all. Guess I was wrong about that... This is yours, isn't it?" she asked with a smile.

Stretching out an arm, she relaxed her grip to reveal the MP3 player that I cherished.

Relieved, I gladly accepted it as I took out my silver headphones, the other piece of the puzzle, and connected the two before readjusting the music player around my neck and back in its rightful place.

"Thank you," I told her, intoning as much of my gratitude as I could into my voice, and she looked away from me.

She showed signs that she was indeed flustered.

"I just wanted to make sure that you got it back. But how could you have dropped your most precious treasure...? Although, I guess we're all a little clumsy sometimes, right? Minato-kun?" she wondered rhetorically.

"Wait... How do you know my name?" I asked her; surprised that she addressed me so casually.

Her bright eyes caught mine as she took a deep breath.

"Well, you are pretty popular these days. You know that you already have a fan club devoted to you, yes? I managed to ask one of your fans to tell me your name as well as an idea on where you live," she replied.

I nodded slowly to her answer; what she said was pretty much true and public anyway.

"Oh, I should introduce myself. I'm Minako Arisato," She introduced herself to me with a small bounce.

Her name sounded almost exactly like mine and she must have noticed because she seemed amused and giggled.

Suddenly, I hear a mysterious voice ring in my head and an image of a tarot card appeared in my mind.

It was of the Fool Arcana but it differed from the one indicating my relationship with SEES.

For one, the number was not zero but twenty-two and, for another, the blue border had been replaced by a gold one.

Thou art I… And I am thou… Thou hast established a new bond…

"Maybe I should ask Igor about this later," I thought to myself in a daze.

I quickly snapped back to reality when I heard her talk again.

"I guess you're wondering why our names are similar. I'm not your sibling or blood-related to you in any way. But, here's something that I've picked up: not everything in this world happens by pure coincidence... Then again, some do," she smiled mysteriously before chirping happily, "Well, I hope to see you soon!"

"Be careful," I barely managed to say to her.

She nodded and walked away with a smile.

Something about her smile comforted me but I also knew that there was more to her than meets the eye.

I sincerely hoped that I get to see her again but, for now, I returned to my room without incident.

**Rank 1 – Complete!**

**A/N: I need you all to make sure you follow, favorite and review the story! Your love fuels the story and so we need fuel to keep it going! I shouldn't be getting all the praise, please thank Gin as well for the awesome job with the details! I'm the idea person and write it initially and Gin adds the details where necessary and edits the grammar. I can't thank Gin enough. As you can guess there will only be ten chapters, but show your support and I might write the alternate perspective. So makes us proud and show support.**


	2. Rank 2

**Author's note: Double Chapter! I have to admit that I had 1-6 done before hand. Once I have done 7 and 8 only then me and Gin will edit and put up 3 and 4. If you are hooked, then check out the poll on my page and predict the ending! I have it planned already but I want to know your predictions! Thank Gin again for her beta reading and such! Now do us a favor and read and review every chapter! Tell us your favorite parts or hints you might spot! Enjoy!**

**Sunday, May 10, 2009**

It was the day after the sudden late night operation and I felt exhausted.

After all, it's not every day (or night in this case) that I get stuck in a high-speed train and forced to fight an onslaught of Shadows along with a powerful boss all in an effort to avoid a train wreck and simply survive.

I was hoping that I could just sleep in all day but that wasn't the case as Junpei knocked on my door impatiently, to which I grumbled, "What?"

"Dude! There's a girl waiting for you outside. How did you score someone like her? I wouldn't keep her waiting, y'know?" Junpei told me with a cheeky grin.

Surprised, I looked outside of my window and saw Minako standing on the sidewalk, waiting on me in the middle of the day.

She would be pretty upset if I just left her there.

Not to mention that I knew that I needed to develop my bonds with other people in order to fully realize the power of the Wild Card.

"Whatever, I'll go." I finally said.

Hanging out with Minako would be better than staying in my room all day; I could use the fresh air anyway.

After being nagged at by Junpei, I briefly explained to him how I came to know Minako as she was the one who found my MP3 player and returned it to me.

"Hey. If she's single, you'll hook me up, right?" Junpei asked eagerly.

"I'll see what I can do," I replied after a pause.

"Sweet!" Junpei exclaimed cheerfully and left my room without any further incident.

Quickly, I changed out of my sleepwear and walked out of the dorm.

"Hey. I thought you were going to leave me in the dark again... I guess I thought wrong. Say, can we go to Wild Duck Burger?" Minako asked hopefully.

I nodded in agreement and so we headed over to the Iwatodai Strip Mall.

Just before entering the popular Wild Duck Burger, Minako must have noticed my current disposition as she looked at me with concern.

"You look tired. Maybe we shouldn't have come after all," she murmured with furrowed brows.

"It's alright," I replied with a shrug.

"Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly.

I nodded and she brightened up.

"Thank you! Oh, we should hurry or we might miss out!" Minako exclaimed.

She grabbed my hand with a firm but gentle grip and we went inside.

Minako insisted that I sit down and rest as she would take care of the orders.

I gave her some yen that I had earned from my previous explorations of Tartarus to pay for the food.

Slouching into my seat, I watched her speak animatedly with the worker and, a few moments later, Minako came back with the famous Peta Wac set for us to share.

The Peta Wac set was famous, or perhaps infamous, to the local populace: it consisted of a towering pile of burgers accompanied by a very large bucket of fries and an equally large drink.

Anyone who was able to finish this notorious feast in a single sitting would then be immortalized, by name and picture, with everyone else who had conquered the challenge.

Just then, a child began crying at the top of his lungs and was heard by everyone in the restaurant, no doubt.

As it appeared, the young boy had accidentally dropped his tray, and consequently his entire meal, onto the floor.

"And this is why you should've let me carry your food," the mother complained with clear exasperation.

"But I wanted to show you that I could do it!" the boy shouted, upset by the incident.

Frowning thoughtfully, Minako carefully placed the Peta Wac set on the table in front of me before grabbing a burger and walking over to the boy with purpose.

She knelt down in front of him and offered the burger to the sniffling boy.

"Here you go! You can have this one," Minako offered with a smile.

The boy visibly brightened up and gave her a wide smile.

"Thank you very much," the boy said with a bow before scampering off towards his mother, chattering about "the nice lady".

They sat a far distance away from us but I could swear that the mother looked both grateful and relieved.

Humming happily, Minako sat across from me and grabbed a burger from the mountain; I took one as well.

"Let's eat!" Minako chirped, "Thank you for the food!"

It was a comfortable silence as the two of us tackled the delicious challenge and, fortunately, we managed to finish the Peta Wac set together though it didn't count towards the actual prize.

"That was really nice of you," I finally said, leaning back and slouching a bit.

"Oh? Hm... I just didn't want to see him cry. Everyone deserves to be happy once in a while after all," Minako smiled though there was a hint of pain in her next words, "But with happiness there is also sadness."

I didn't know what to do at that moment so I remained silent.

"I expected you to comfort me, but listening to me was nice enough. Thanks," Minako replied with a soft, warm smile.

I shared a quiet moment with her before we returned to the dorm and parted ways.

**Rank 2 – Complete!**


	3. Rank 3

**Author's Note: Rank 3 has now been made available! Once again Gin should take a round of applause. Rank 4 might be out by this weekend or until I finished writing Rank 8. So read, review, follow and vote on the poll on my page. We need the power of your interest to develop the social link further! Make sure to tell us anything that is interesting! Enjoy!**

**Monday, June 1, 2009**

It was already evening when I noticed that Minako was waiting for me outside of the dorm.

Her arms were folded across her chest in an effort to keep warm from the freezing temperature as she sported the same outfit that I saw her in on the first day that I met her.

Quickly telling Mitsuru-senpai that we weren't going to go to Tartarus tonight, I slipped outside to see what she wanted.

"There you are! It's nice to see that you won't leave anyone out in the cold. Um... I know it's a bit silly for a girl to ask a guy out, but is it alright with you, Minato-kun?" Minako wondered.

I nodded to both her statement and her question.

She smiled brightly at me.

"Hey, can we go to the karaoke place?" she asked with a hint of nervous excitement.

Again, I silently agreed and Minako grabbed me by the hand, gently pulling me along.

We walked to Mandragora together and Minako rented out one of the available machines.

Surprisingly, the place wasn't as busy as it could get but it was still filled with buzzing energy as neon lights dazzled and brightened the building.

She handed me the microphone with a grin.

"Come on, Minato-kun! I want to hear you sing!" Minako cheered.

Secretly, I had to admit that my courage needed some work.

"Alright, just for you," I replied.

Walking over to the karaoke machine, I scrolled through the list of songs.

There were so many that I didn't know which one I should sing to so I selected one on a whim.

It was a song titled _Kimi no Kioku _and I sang along to the appearing lyrics.

_"Mabayuku kagayaku hitotoki minna to issho datta_

_kakegae no nai toki to shirazuni watashi wa sugoshite ita_

_imawa tada taisetsu ni shinobuyou I will embrace the feeling~"_

At this point, I noticed that Minako suddenly looked so distant and so...alone.

The song ended and I swiftly made my way back to her, plopping down right beside her with hands in my pocket.

"You were really good!" Minako complimented with her signature smile before frowning faintly, "But I'm not sure what song I want to sing to..."

"You could sing the same song," I suggested, leaning against the cushioned backrest.

She smiled at me and nodded, "Okay."

Taking hold of the microphone, Minako skipped over to the karaoke machine to reselect the song before twirling around on stage as the music began.

She looked like she had a lot of fun singing up there.

When she was finished, she sat down beside me with a flushed face.

"I had a lot of fun with you, Minato-kun. At first, I was scared that I was going to be horrible at this but...you gave me the strength that I needed," Minako said with honest conviction.

Soaking in the amiable atmosphere, I simply sat with her quietly for a while before we decided to leave.

We walked back to the dorm together though I vaguely wondered why since she didn't live with us, with SEES.

I was listening to my MP3 player as we approached my living quarters when Minako suddenly took one of my earphones away.

"I wonder what kind of songs you have on there." Minako mused, holding the earpiece against her ear with one hand as she held my MP3 player in the other and scrolled through the song list.

I'd lost count of the amount of songs I'd downloaded on there, to the point that there may be a song that I didn't even realize I had, so sometimes it's surprising that I'm able to find the time to just listen to people talk.

"Say, Minato-kun...? What kind of songs do you like?" Minako asked quietly.

I paused in thought before replying, "Songs that make me happy."

"'Songs that make me happy,'" she repeated, barely louder than a whisper.

That said, Minako walked away in a bit of a daze.

I wondered if what I said was strange to her but my question remained unanswered as she had already disappeared and so I retreated to my room.

**Rank 3 - Complete!**


	4. Rank 4

**Author's Note: This is likely the last one before I upload Rank 5 because I need to finish typing the rest of the story so it can be made available quicker. This one has some development but face it; later ranks are far more developed so it's going to get more intense after rank 5. Again please thank Gin Nanashi for the beta reading. Make sure to show support by reviewing, following, and all that stuff to help develop the social link further. For now it's frozen at Rank 4. *sigh* Enjoy… P.S.: I might help that new people review the story and don't secretly skim over it.**

**Wednesday, July 1, 2009**

As I stepped out of the building and into the courtyard, I was caught off guard by the fact that Minako was waiting for me just outside of the school gate.

She was wearing a new outfit since summer was right around the corner: a short-sleeved orange shirt that was worn over her red and white spaghetti-strap top along with a white skirt and a pair of white flats.

Her signature MP3 must be playing as she wore her red headphones on her ears with her eyes closed, listening intently to whatever song was on; she was completely unaware of the guys swarming around her and declaring their "love" for her–either that or she was doing a fine job of completely ignoring them.

As I neared the school gate, Minako suddenly opened her eyes and lifted her gaze to meet mine head on.

With a greeting smile, she walked past the dazzled boys around her until she came face to face with me.

Taking off her earphones, she suddenly grabbed my hand in that warm grip of hers and tilted her head back a bit to look up at me.

"Can we go to the bookstore? I want to get there before it closes but I don't know where it is. I've heard that it has all sorts of books and... You'll show me the way, right?" Minako asked with wide eyes.

"Okay," I replied simply with a small nod.

She smiled brightly before suddenly letting my hand slip out of her grasp as she turned around and clasped her arms behind her back with a bounce and...a faint blush? I wasn't sure.

Pushing her actions to the back of my mind, I led the way and, from the corner of my eyes, I could see the (rejected) boys giving me glares that could almost match the burn of a thousand suns...

We reached the quaint Bookworms shop in about ten minutes, giving us a few hours before the old couple closed it for the night.

As we entered the bookstore, I heard Bunkichi musing aloud.

"Now, where did I put those books?" he asked himself as he pushed up his slipping glasses.

"Dear, we have guests!" Mitsuko called out to her husband before turning to us with a warm smile, "It's nice to see you again, Minato-chan. I hope you've been doing well and... Oh? Is this girl your girlfriend?"

Surprised by the question, I wasn't sure of what to say when Minako stepped in, "Ah, we're just…"

She trailed off as something undecipherable passed through her eyes, which I found to be odd since Minako had never had to pause at all in the time that I've known her; she'd always spoken amiably and confidently about all sorts of stuff until she was finished or another person interjected their own thoughts.

"...friends," Minato finally finished with a smile though she softer than usual.

Wanting to avoid a moment of awkwardness, I introduced Minako to the friendly old couple.

"Well, take your time 'leaf'-ing through our books and don't hesitate to ask for anything," Bunkichi suggested with a joking smile.

Minako giggled and nodded in response before the two of us wandered around the small shop and skimmed over the many titles as Bunkichi and Mitsuko tidied up in comfortable silence.

After a few moments, during which I eyed the various manga, Minako approached me with a book held in her arms.

"Can you read this to me...? I'm sorry, it's just that I'm not from around here so I don't know how to..." Minako trailed off and fidgeted a bit as she looked up at me through her lashes with a blush.

"Of course," I replied, unable to stop myself from smiling a bit at her child-like actions.

Looking over the cover of the book, I spotted the title in kanji, which read _Tanabata_.

Not wanting to disturb the working couple, I started reading the book to Minako in a low tone but our huddled forms must have caught Bunkichi's and Mitsuko's attention as they soon asked me to read it aloud to them as well.

The story wasn't that long, but it moved Mitsuko to the brink of tears as she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

"It's so unfortunate that the lovers couldn't be together," Mitsuko sniffled, holding onto her husband's arm.

"Don't fret, my dear! Although apart, they're allowed to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month," Bunkichi smiled, gently patting her hand.

"That's on July 7th! It's only days from now," Minako realized with a hint of excitement.

"You're right! I wonder what we should wish for?" Bunkichi asked thoughtfully.

"Wish?" Minako asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"You see, Minako-chan, every year during this time you write wishes on paper and hang them onto bamboo. They say that the wishes will reach Vega and Altair, the stars that represent these star-crossed lovers," Mitsuko answered, smiling as awe became evident on Minako's face.

"Hey... Can we do that right now? I won't be here on Tanabata so I won't be able to enjoy the celebration... Is it possible for me to write down my wish now and one of you can put it up for me on Tanabata?" Minako asked, albeit shyly.

I nodded in agreement and she smiled, brightening up even further when Bunkichi and Mitsuko joined in as well.

And so the four of us wrote our wishes onto various brightly colored paper and, with my help, we began to hang them onto the ceiling since there wasn't a bamboo tree on hand.

(I promised that I'd come back after the festival to help the old couple take them down.)

As for what we wished...

I wished for a better future.

Bunkichi and Mitsuko wished for the future generations to live happy lives.

As I hung Minako's slip, I noticed that she wished for the star-crossed lovers to be together without anything separating them.

I thought it was kind of foolish since everyone knew what happened to the star-crossed lovers in the end...

"Wow! We all did a great job! Now we just have to wait for our wishes to reach Vega and Altair," Minako cheered with a clap of her hands.

"This wouldn't have happened without you," I told Minako, "Thank you."

Surprised, her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed before she smiled and nodded to my response; she seemed almost... wistful.

After spending a bit longer at Bookworms, we soon said our farewells to the old couple before Minako walked with me to the dorm.

It was already evening by the time we got to the front door when she suddenly spoke up.

"I'm sorry for lying to you," Minako said.

She wasn't looking at me; rather, she was gazing up at the darkening sky with glazed eyes.

"For what?" I asked, feeling like there was more.

"I actually do know how to read, but I wanted you to read the story to me..." she seemed to have immersed herself in her memories as she continued, "My parents... They used to read to me when I was little, before I lost them in that car accident..." a pause before she shook her head, "I was being selfish... I'm sorry..."

I stepped a little closer to her, brushing my hand against her own, as I also gazed up at the dark sky.

"I enjoyed reading it to you," I finally said.

She shifted a bit at my words but I kept my eyes heavenward even as she gently held my hand, tugging me a bit more to her level as she tiptoed closer.

"Thank you," she whispered into my ear and I couldn't help but shiver as her warm breath ghosted across my skin.

Soon after, Minako released her grip on me and turned around, disappearing into the night, as I touched my ear and walked into the dorm in a slight daze.

I wondered, what drove Minako to make that wish in the first place?

**Rank 4 – Complete!**


	5. Rank 5

**Author's Note: Okay, I won't update that fast but the story is short and I hope that I don't leave people in a cliffhanger. I feel bad when a story is left in a cliffhanger or it's discontinued. Enough of the pity party I placed, thank Gin Nanashi for Beta Reading and make sure to show support. On a side note, the poll is now blind since the results end up tied. Your answer to the poll will not affected the ending of the social link but will give me the idea on what people prefer stories to end as whether happy or sad. To **_**TrueSuffering,**_** you are not bothering me with your reviews, I actually enjoy them. That also goes for others who have given some of their time to review. I appreciate it. We are halfway done with social link! *Claps hands***

**Wednesday, July 8, 2009**

It was the day after what would have been the Tanabata Festival when Minako decided to visit me again.

Day had already transitioned into evening as I sat in my room, slouching over my desk and still feeling tired after the previous night's unique ordeal...even now my cheek was still sore.

A shuffling noise had caught my attention and, upon looking out of the window, I had spotted her pacing back and forth outside with a concerned but also conflicted look on her face.

Despite my exhaustion from yesterday's battle, I made my way out of the dorm since I didn't want to leave Minako all alone like that.

As soon as I stepped foot outside and closed the door, Minako instantly grabbed my hand with pleading eyes.

"Can you help me with something, Minato-kun?" she asked with a hint of worry.

"What is it?" I asked in return, feeling a bit apprehensive myself.

"It's best that I show you and...do you have cat food?" Minako replied.

I blinked.

That seemed rather random.

But I answered regardless, "No, but we can go get some."

Relieved, she smiled gently at me before loosening her grip and slowly letting go of my hand, almost reluctantly.

We left for the mall soon after and I remembered that Aohige Pharmacy carried cat food so I bought a pack on the way.

I felt a bit surprised when Minako led me in the direction of the back alley and I took a careful look around my surroundings.

For one reason or another, the usual inhabitants of this area weren't here tonight.

Minako crouched down to the floor and beckoned her fingers, cooing softly, "Come out please."

I wondered who or what she was calling to when, from the corner of my eyes, I spotted a cat.

It was dirty and skinny, most likely a stray.

Warily, the cat padded closer to Minako but, when she held out a hand to pet it, the cat hissed and scratched her; surprisingly, Minako barely flinched.

"Don't worry, we're here to help you." She continued to speak softly before looking up at me, "Minato-kun, can you hand me the cat food?"

I nodded and grabbed the can of Super Cat Food from the bag before passing it over to her.

Smiling at me, Minako popped open the can and set it down a fair distance from her current position, waiting anxiously.

The cat kept its gaze on us a while longer before slowly, cautiously, making its way over to the proffered meal. Its nose twitched at the smell of food and it finally turned its glaring eyes away from us and onto the open can. Positioning itself so that it still faced us, the cat began to slowly eat out of the can as its ears twitched towards us. Judging from the way it soon began scarfing down on the meal, we knew that the cat was famished.

"It's actually eating," I said a bit obviously.

Minako tittered softly and stood up, taking her place right next to me again.

"The cat isn't an 'it', silly! I'm sure he or she has a gender even though we don't know which one," Minako replied, rolling on the balls of her feet.

She soon settled down though and watched the cat eat contently as I kept half an eye on my surroundings just in case.

The cat was about halfway done with its meal when Minako brought up something quite peculiar.

"I wonder where the cat's owners are at... I mean, the cat must've had an owner, right?" Minako said; she seemed almost hopeful.

"It might be a stray," I pointed out and she fell silent for a moment in thought.

"But...this cat had parents, right?" she murmured softly after the pause, "It must be sad to be separated from your parents forcefully."

I felt a pang in my heart when I heard that.

It hit a little too close to home and I remained silent in response.

"... I'm sorry. You're just like me and had to grow up without your parents...without the first people who raised and loved you..." Minako fell silent for a moment and I kept my gaze on a random building before she suddenly suggested, "Would you mind being the 'Daddy' to the cat?"

Caught off guard by the sudden change in conversation, I could only blink and glance over at her; she gave a small smile and continued, "I'll be the 'Mommy' to the little one. And I'm sure that we'll have to come back a few times for this cat to be at full strength again."

Not knowing what to say, I simply nodded in agreement and we waited for the cat to finish its meal; once done, it returned to wherever it came from.

"It's getting really late now." Minako hummed as she tilted her head back to look at the bright moon before suggesting, "We should head back to your dorm."

We went back to the entrance of the dorm together but, instead of simply parting ways, I sat down on the steps and she followed.

I wasn't sure why I deviated from our usual habit, especially since we simply sat in silence and watched the night sky, but it felt nice.

From the corner of my eyes, I secretly glanced over at Minako and wondered about the dazed and wistful expression that appeared once more on her face before her hand caught my attention.

Turning my head, I eyed the scratches and frowned faintly.

"I'm fine. It doesn't hurt so badly," Minako spoke up once she noticed my gaze and smiled, "Besides, a little pain is nothing if I can help someone out."

She says that she's fine but I can clearly see that she's in pain even as she played down the wound.

Somewhat boldly, I placed my hand over hers and laced our fingers together, holding onto her firmly.

I may not be verbally eloquent but I still wanted to somehow soothe the pain that she held and this...this was the best that I could do.

"You know... I saw that cat earlier but it ran off into that alley." she suddenly said and I glanced at her to see a small smile on her lips, "I knew that it was dangerous there so I didn't want to go alone but, at the same time, I didn't want to drag you into anything dangerous..."

That would explain why she seemed so conflicted earlier but what's done is done and no harm came to us. Besides, all those late night explorations into Tartarus had toughened me up and I was confident that I could take care of myself and her if there had been any trouble. Still, she was innocent and I couldn't explain our secret mission or the strange phenomenon that occurred every night at midnight so I stayed silent and gently squeezed her hand in comfort.

She returned the gesture and a moment of peace passed before she asked, "When you're alone, do you wish for someone to be there with you?"

"I do," I replied without hesitation.

"You don't look like you would. I mean, you have such a reserved personality and it sometimes seems to scream 'don't come near me'," Minako said though she seemed to have already anticipated my answer.

Silently, I debated asking her about what she meant when she smiled and unlaced our hands.

"You know, you're really cute when you look lonely." I was taken aback by her words, wondering if they were a compliment, as she continued to tease me, "I bet that the girls swarm around you in school, craving to be around the cool, mysterious transfer student."

I was lost for words and her expression grew a bit somber as she continued in a softer tone, "Just look at me, I'm doing just that." she gazed at her hands with a sad look in her eyes, "I...want you to pay attention to me. ... No, that's not quite right..." she seemed a bit lost as she tried to grasp for the right thing to say, "I... I want you to acknowledge that I'm _here_."

I wasn't quite sure what she meant by that since she _was_ here but, regardless, I nodded resolutely, "I will, I do."

And she turned that bright smile of hers onto me once more, "Thank you, Minato-kun!"

I relaxed and burrowed my hands into my pockets again out of habit as she stood up.

"I don't know when we'll see each other again but, when we do, promise me that you'll still be there for me," Minako said somewhat cryptically.

Nodding once, I waved to her as she walked away with a small skip to her steps.

The next morning I noticed that my hand stung a bit and, upon looking at it, I noticed that there were scratch marks...

And yet, I didn't recall the cat ever being near me.

**Rank 5 – Complete!**


	6. Rank 6

**Author's Note: We are here at the second half of the social link! I consider this one to be the fluffiest one yet! A huge round of applause to Gin Nanashi for adding details and reviewing for grammar! Yay! As always, make sure to show support! Let's get through rank 6 everyone!**

**Sunday, August 16, 2009 **

The Summer Festival that was held in the Naganaki Shrine was bustling with crowds of families, groups of friends and random couples being lovey-dovey with each other and, though it was a bit annoying bumping into people, it didn't matter too much.

(After all, festivals were meant to be crowded with tons of people as they all had fun with one another.)

It was evening by the time I decided to just stop and rest on a nearby bench, reminiscing about today.

Earlier, I had hung out with Yukari, escorting her from booth to booth and just relaxing overall, when she decided to leave early.

I didn't mind and I told her to be careful on her way back to the dorm before she left with a smile on her face.

To be honest, I wasn't sure why I decided to hang around since there wasn't much to do by my lonesome but I didn't care.

I really don't do much during the evenings when we don't go into Tartarus anyway.

I would either talk with someone or hang out in the mall or just go to sleep early.

It may seem a bit boring to other people but those are just the things that I do to keep myself occupied.

I was about to doze off from my spot on the bench when I caught a glimpse of a familiar brunette walking up the steps of the shrine.

Straightening up, I silently admitted to myself that Minako looked rather cute in that kimono.

She must've noticed me because her gaze locked onto mine and she smiled brightly, walking over to me with a skip in her steps.

"It's nice seeing you again, Minato-kun! Um... Do you like it?" Minako greeted happily before asking, turning a bit so that I could get a different angle.

Running my eyes over her appearance, I took a closer look and inspected her kimono.

It was mainly white but had purple and green circles dotting parts of it along with a floral design.

Compared with her, I didn't dress up for the occasion–all I wore was a blue and white T-shirt and a pair of jeans along with sneakers.

And, of course, my MP3 player wasn't far behind, being around my neck as usual.

"You look rather beautiful," I remarked honestly.

Minako blushed and turned her burning face away from me in a shy manner.

"Really?" she questioned hopefully.

I nodded with a small smile.

Smiling back, Minako slipped her hand into mine and squeezed gently but firmly.

I took note of the fact that her scratch marks were completely gone, as if they'd never been there in the first place, which made sense–it had been a while since I'd last seen her.

Speaking of which, I had wanted to ask her about that but, after seeing her excited face, I decided that now wasn't the best time for such a conversation.

"You have to show me around the booths, okay? Minato-kun?" she asked, looking around in wonder.

The first thing that Minako spotted was a takoyaki stand; even from here I could place its unique but nonetheless delicious scent.

"Do you want to try some?" I asked.

Perking up at my question, she looked up at me and nodded in excitement.

Just as she was about to drag me over to the stand though, she seemed to have noticed her grip on me and hesitated before slowly releasing our hold on each other.

I was a bit confused as to why she was acting the way she did but I put it out of mind as I walked up to the lady at the stand.

"One takoyaki please," I said.

The woman in charge glanced over at me before shifting her gaze onto Minako and then back at me with a strangely stern look in her eyes.

"You better not break her heart, y'hear? She may not look like it but she'll likely drown in despair if you do something," the vendor told me.

Her warning caused a chill to run up my spine.

Suddenly, the lady smiled and handed me my order, "Well, here ya go! One takoyaki."

Putting aside the strange feeling, I handed her the right amount of yen and gave her a nod of thanks.

"Thank you, come again!" the vendor shouted as I walked away.

Briskly making my way back to Minako, I vaguely wondered what was up with the takoyaki lady when I noticed that Minako didn't look as ecstatic as before.

"Here you go," I said as I handed her the takoyaki, watching her expressions carefully.

Minako looked up at me and smiled gently though there was still a spark of sadness in her eyes... I couldn't bring myself to ask about it.

"Want to share?" she asked as she scooted over a bit from her seat on the bench.

I nodded and took a seat next to her; we shared the meal in silence together and watched as the festival continued.

Once the last takoyaki was eaten (by Minako at my insistence), we took a look at the masks together.

There were so many on display that Minako couldn't focus on just any one mask.

"Masks are the sort of things that people hide their faces behind, right?" she asked softly.

Glancing over at her, I nodded in answer and Minako looked down in thought.

"I see," she murmured to herself.

After taking a moment to collect herself, Minako suggested that we visit the shrine's temple instead of the game booth.

The old but still majestic building appeared rather lonesome given that the crowds of people were all over the various stalls set up for the festival.

"This is the place where we make wishes, right? So how do I do it?" Minako asked as she awed over the architect.

Smiling a bit at her curiosity, I stepped forward and pulled on the rope before clapping my hands together and closing my eyes in prayer.

I could hear the clopping of her geta sandals and the shuffling of her kimono as Minako mimicked my actions.

We stayed there for a bit in comfortable silence as we hoped for our wishes to come true before noticing that families were beginning to leave.

"Let's go back to the dorm, it's getting pretty late," Minako said after stretching a bit.

We started to walk when I heard a thud from behind.

Surprised, I quickly turned back and noticed that Minako had fallen over.

One of her geta's strap had snapped.

"Ow," she whimpered as she pushed herself up.

Snapping out of it, I rushed to her side and pulled her up, giving her a once-over to spot any injuries she may have.

Minako leaned against me, placing most of her weight on one leg.

"Oh... It broke," Minako said with a small frown as she eyed the footwear blankly.

My heart tugged a bit at her lost expression and I slipped my arms across her shoulders and under her knees, pulling her up and against my chest in a gentle bridal-style grip before walking over to a curb where she could sit.

While carrying her, I noticed that Minako was rather light and, though it may have been a trick of the festival lights, she looked rather flushed as she rested her head against my shoulder.

"Why did you do that?" she finally asked after a moment of silence as I gently set her down.

"I couldn't let you hurt like that," I answered.

Oddly enough, Minako looked away from me and down at her clasped hands.

Shaking off the feeling that I was missing something, I decided to go fetch the broken geta sandal that was left behind on the floor.

"Stay here," I told her as I straightened up.

Minako simply nodded and I made my way back into the crowd of people, easily dividing my attention between dodging them and looking for the missing footwear.

The lone piece soon caught my eyes and I quickly picked it up before searching for something that could help fix it.

A small textile stall came into view as I wandered around before I returned to Minako with two pieces of cloth in hand.

I used one of the cloths to fix the torn strap before gently slipping the geta back onto her foot.

Then, with the other cloth, I wrapped it around her sprained ankle.

I had noticed it when she leaned against me, favoring one of her legs over the other; in any case, she shouldn't be walking around right now.

In fact, how was she going to get home like this?

"Hey... Do something for me?" she suddenly asked as she fidgeted with her kimono, "Carry me back to your dorm." I paused and she quickly added on, "I know that I can't stay there but my sprain's not too bad. I think I'll be able to walk again by the time you reach your dorm."

I wasn't fully convinced but I felt that I should just do as she said so I picked her up, bridal-style, once more.

Logically, it made sense since she was wearing a kimono and a piggy-back ride wouldn't work very well with that type of dress but...there seemed to be _more_ that I couldn't figure out at the moment.

By the time that we reached the dorm, it was almost midnight; the Dark Hour would appear soon.

After hesitating about what to do, I finally put Minako down and was surprised to see that she was able to stand up just fine.

"Thank you for helping me, Minato-kun. And...thank you for today! It was really fun! I mean, we should do this again some time! I mean..." Minako stumbled over her exclamations as she wrung her hands together in a nervous fashion.

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying to decipher the reason to her current state.

Pausing her actions, Minako smiled at me but I instantly knew that she was faking it.

"Oh, nothing!" she replied before bowing and smiling a little more genuinely, "Just... Thank you. I should be going now."

As much as I wanted to figure out what was going on, I couldn't figure out what to say and she was already walking away with a parting wave so all I could do was wave back to her in farewell.

The very next day my legs gave way when I stumbled out of bed and I found it hard to stand on both of my feet.

**Rank 6 – Complete!**


	7. Rank 7

**Author's Note: This might be long, so grab something to eat or drink because I have a few words to say! This rank is mostly in 3****rd**** person because Minato is sick (-_-)! I bet that some of you have wondered what would happen if Minako meet the rest of SEES? This is the chapter for it and Shinjiro ( the reason for it for the T rating. It might stay with this rating since the last few ranks might not be appropriate for the young children if there are any who are reading. We know that Persona 3 and 4 have an M rating from ESRB. You could also say that teenagers are into Persona as well but we say screw the rating and we'll play the game anyway. Looking at you kids who play Black Ops but enough about that) is included since this one is during the typhoon. Since me and Gin (who proofreads and edits for me, thank you!) are busier with school (we're in college) and such, the updates are going to be much slower. The suspense is building in the social link now so please do not add any speculations to your review, just go on by what is revealed. Show support by doing what I have been mentioning for a while. Enjoy!**

**Sunday, September 20, 2009**

The world around me was dark and muffled.

I felt hot and cold, weighted yet weightless all at once.

I had yet to fall asleep but, at the same time, I felt sluggish and so, so tired...

Briefly, I wondered what time it was but I couldn't be bothered to open my eyes.

I needed to get better quickly; otherwise, I'd be letting the rest of the team down.

Burrowing my head deeper into my pillow, I hoped to doze off into dreamland...

**3rd Person Point of View:**

Meanwhile, on the floor below, the other members of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, affectionately known as SEES, had gathered in the lounge as the storm continued to rage outside.

Raindrops pelted down from the dreary, gray sky in an unrelenting torrent as the wind howled every now and then.

"Ugh, when will it stop pouring? It's because of this typhoon that the school festival was canceled," Junpei complained as he attempted to amuse himself by sitting upside-down on the couch and counting the random dots on the ceiling.

"Don't worry, Junpei-kun, I heard that the rain will roll over by tomorrow," Fuuka reassured him with a sympathetic smile as she continued clicking away on the keyboard of her laptop.

From his seat at the low table, Ken paused from working meticulously on his homework and looked around at his lounging seniors before asking with a hint of hesitancy, "What kind of things would have appeared at the school festival?"

Immediately, Junpei perked up in excitement, "All sorts of things! Especially Yuka-tan in that maid outfit, if you get my drift." His brows wriggled suggestively.

"Is that _all_ you ever think about?!" Yukari replied in disgust, crinkling her nose delicately, as she pulled her magazine a little further up in an subconscious effort to shield herself from the hotblooded male's view.

"Yukari-san, is this 'maid outfit' required to be worn at least once in the span of a human's life? Like the school uniform I wear now?" Aigis asked in that mechanical yet naive manner of hers as she fixed her gaze on the archer.

The brunette looked almost horrified at the suggestion and glared murderously at the capped teenager, "Just what have you been telling her?!"

"Hey, hey, hey-! She asked and I just answered," Junpei replied defensively as he finally righted his position just in case he were to be attacked.

As if she could no longer look at him, Yukari looked away and huffed, "You really do earn your title, _Stupei_."

Said boy looked indignant to say the least.

Smoothly cutting in before an argument could break out, Mitsuru took command of the situation with a single sentence, "We should be focusing on more important matters at the moment, such as the condition of our Leader."

"I checked up on him earlier," Akihiko said as he took a break from fixing up his boxing gloves, "He seemed to be sleeping."

"I took his temperature earlier as well," Fuuka added with a small frown, "He still has a fever but it's not as high as before..."

She trailed off as Koromaru suddenly barked at the door, causing the group to turn to the albino Shiba Inu in confusion.

"What are you barking at, Koro-chan?" Fuuka asked as she set her laptop down on the table and stood up to approach the dog.

Ken followed her actions but took the liberty of looking outside the window before gasping in surprise.

"There's a girl out there!" he exclaimed in alarm.

With the exception of Aigis and Shinjiro, the others decided to look outside as well.

And there she was: a pretty, auburn-haired young woman standing with her arms crossed in front of her chest, huddling under a tree like a lost child.

Seeing her drenched form as a particularly harsh wind blew by, Mitsuru quickly took command, "Get her inside and let's see what she wants."

"Understood," Aigis replied without hesitation as she made her way to the door and opened it.

For a moment, too short for any of the others to notice, the mechanical maiden paused at the sight as her visuals processed the information in front of her before carefully storing the data away.

"You may come inside," Aigis called out to the quiet figure though her usual apathetic tone held a hint of puzzlement that was lost to the untrained ear.

Bright red eyes locked onto the blond robot, sparkling with emotions that were tucked away far too quickly for comprehension, before Minako (for who else could it be?) nodded and power-walked over and into the warm dormitory.

As she smoothed out her wet appearance, Minako didn't expect to be crowded by the curious group.

"What is your name?" Mitsuru asked, eyeing the newcomer as she tried to place a name to Minako's face.

"I'm Hamuko," she gave no indication of a last name and mentally crossed her fingers in hopes that they wouldn't push her, "It's nice to meet you...?"

"Oh! I'm Yukari, Yukari Takeba," came the easy introduction before said brunette gestured besides her, "The girl in green is Fuuka Yamagishi."

"Hello," the frail-looking girl greeted Minako with a small smile before bending down and petting the Shiba Inu as he bumped his head against her leg, "And this is Koromaru, or Koro-chan as we call him."

Tilting his head, Koromaru scrutinized the newcomer for a bit longer before barking in response; his tail was now wagging gently.

"And _I'm_ Junpei Iori," the capped boy suddenly appeared next to her and grinned charmingly, "If you ever need a grand tour of this wonderful facility, I'd be more than happy to help!"

Nearly everyone had to roll their eyes at his obvious pass before Akihiko decided to cut in, "Anyway, I'm Akihiko Sanada and over there is Shinjiro Aragaki."

Said beanie-wearing man grunted in response, keeping his heavy gaze on her small form.

"Hello, I'm Ken Amada," the youngest introduced himself with a bow, "It's nice to meet you, Hamuko-san."

"I am Aigis, it is a pleasure to meet you." the blond stated and paused for a second before pointing out, "For some reason, I cannot register a pulse or, for that matter, any signs of life from you and yet my sensors indicate that you are not a danger."

Surprise and a strange expression flashed across Minako's face as everyone else coughed distractedly.

"Please excuse Aigis," the redhead of the group quickly took control of the situation again, "I am Mitsuru Kirijo. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance despite the circumstances. However, I must ask that you elaborate on your reasons for waiting outside in the rain."

That seemed to snap her out of her thoughts as Minako blinked rapidly, "Oh... Oh! Um, well, I wanted to visit Minato-kun."

At this, the three juniors shared an incredulous look from behind her back. Why would she come all this way in such flimsy clothes? And during a storm no less! Not to mention...

"Uh... You sure about that? He's caught a cold so, for all we know, he might be contagious," Yukari asked hesitantly as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other in a nervous fashion.

"We should at least let her see him since she's been standing in the rain all this time," Ken pointed out, feeling a bit sympathetic towards the wet girl.

"Well, that settles it then!" Junpei cheered, easily ignoring the fact that a vote hadn't been casted, "So, Hamu-tan, I'll be more than happy to give you a grand tour all the way to his room~!"

"We should let her dry off first," Fuuka quickly cut in before the excitable male dragged her off.

At this, Minako suddenly remembered that she was wet from the rain and plucked at her clinging skirt.

"I will retrieve a towel for her to dry off with," Aigis stated as she walked off to complete her task.

A moment of silence passed as they watched the blond leave the lounge before Minako suddenly spoke up.

"Um... If you guys don't mind me asking, just what are your relationships with Minato-kun?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Well, one way to put it is that he's our Leader," Ken answered easily before quickly biting his tongue when the others frantically gestured for him to stop from behind the curious girl's back.

"Leader..." Minako murmured softly in thought, ignoring the tense atmosphere around her, "In that case, is 'Leader' another name for him...? Are nicknames really that special...?"

The juniors silently sighed in relief when she didn't bring up _why_ Minato was their leader before they smiled at Ken's apologetic expression and motioned that it was alright. The seniors and Koromaru simply watched the exchange with amusement.

Once more, Mitsuru took on the mantle of leadership as she answered, "Names and nicknames are used to distinguish something or someone, so they can indeed be quite special."

Minako hummed a bit as she thought on what she was told before musing aloud, "So all of you look up to Minato-kun as you would a leader and that's why you call him that...?"

Before anyone could agree or disagree with her reasoning, the mechanical maiden returned with a large white towel and handed it over to her.

"Thank you, Aigis!" Minako chirped with a bright smile as she nuzzled against the soft fabric.

"You are welcome," Aigis said as her eyes flickered across the other's expressive face, seemingly recording everything to her memory bank.

"There's a bathroom you can use just down the hall," Fuuka pointed out.

"Bathroom?" Minako questioned as she tilted her head and followed the teal-haired girl's finger.

"Here. I'll show you," Yukari offered as she quickly pushed Junpei away before he acted on any of his...impulses.

That said, Yukari led Minako to the women's room where the latter entered alone...

(Stepping lightly on the clear tiles, Minako couldn't help but awe over the strange white bowl filled with water and the silver knobs that controlled the flow of water with a single twist! Or two...three...four... ... ... ...)

About 30 minutes later, Minako finally exited the restroom with the used towel in hand, looking much dryer than before.

"Feel better?" Ken asked, seeing the bright expression on her face.

"It's definitely better than being wet," Minako admitted with a sheepish smile.

"Great! And now it's time for you to see our Leader!" Junpei exclaimed as he sidled up to her and casually rested an arm across her shoulders, "As always, I'd be happy to show you the way~!"

"I think it'd be best if I show her the way," Akihiko cut in with an amused tilt to his lips, "We wouldn't want you to get lost again after all."

"Hey, hey, hey-! It was an honest mistake! I didn't mean to!" Junpei was quick to try and defend himself as he held his hands up in front of him.

"As if," Yukari scoffed, crossing her arms in front of her and narrowing her eyes at the capped boy.

Sensing that the two were going to start bickering, Minako quickly followed Akihiko as he began to make his way upstairs.

Their walk was quiet but not uncomfortable as the silver-haired boxer led Minako to the second floor and in front of the room at the end of the hall.

"Well, here it is. Minato Arisato's room." Akihiko said, gesturing to the nameplate before noticing that her gaze was on the ajar door, "Ah, about that... Lately, the lock's been malfunctioning so we decided to leave the door open just in case we need to check up on him."

Upon seeing her nod in understanding, the young man smiled before continuing somewhat sternly, "Make sure that you don't take too long. It'd be better for you to return home while there's still some light out. It's dangerous to walk alone at night after all."

That said, he left her with a polite nod and Minako quietly slipped into the darkened room.

**1****st ****Person Point of View**

A strange but familiar feeling aroused me from my light sleep as I heard the faint creaking of my door being opened.

With great effort, I opened my eyes slightly to peer through my lashes and saw Minako in my room.

I should probably freak out at this fact but I couldn't bring myself to do anything but relax into my bed, still feeling sleepy.

"Hey, Minato-kun, I learned something important today," she started speaking softly as she settled on the edge of my bed, "People really look up to you... Not only as _Minato_ but as their _Leader_ too... Does that make you happy?"

I wondered why she brought up this topic since she didn't seem to be expecting an answer.

"Names and nicknames... They're really special, aren't they?" Minako murmured as her voice faded away in thought.

A moment of silence passed and my eyes began to grow heavy again before fluttering shut.

"You know... I told the others that my name was Hamuko and they all believed me," She continued in a tone barely above a whisper, "I...only want you to know me as Minako."

Another pause before she spoke again, "Regardless, aren't we ultimately known by just one name? A curse and a blessing, I suppose." Her voice held a hint of sadness to it that I wanted to get rid of.

But I couldn't do anything as I felt the world of dreams beckon me yet again as I drifted back to sleep...

**3****rd ****Person Point of View**

Minato's eyes fluttered the barest of movements as he slept on, making her wonder if he was dreaming a good dream.

But Minako was less curious about that as she was about how a cold could make a person sleep so much.

Shifting as carefully as she could, the young woman placed her hands on either side of his head and leaned closer as she observed his sleeping face when she felt a puff of warm air ghost against her skin and bangs.

She froze as a strangely warm sensation swept through her body and watched as Minato breathed in...and out...slowly, but steadily.

There was something mesmerizing about the way he breathed.

"I wonder how he's doing that…" Minako wondered aloud as she pulled back a bit to observe him more broadly.

A moment passed and he didn't move to answer her though she had already expected that.

Tilting her head a bit, Minako thought for a moment before shifting her position a bit and pressing an ear against his chest.

It rose and fell in a constant rhythm as she heard that soft but strong beating sound.

"What is that?" Minako whispered softly in awe and wonder.

"I knew there was something off about you."

The new voice caused Minako to jerk upright and freeze where she was before she slowly turned her head to look at the doorway with wide eyes.

Dark eyes gazed intensely at her from beneath the shadow of his beanie as Shinjiro watched her stand stiffly and face him with apprehension but not quite fear.

And he wasn't alone as wary red eyes locked onto curiously similar ones.

"It wasn't what it looked like," Minako replied slowly, albeit in a cliched manner.

He didn't reply as he looked down at the Shiba Inu sitting by his feet, "Koromaru, make sure that no one comes by, alright?"

Said dog looked between the two before chuffing in response and leaving the room to stand guard.

The moment he did, Shinjiro turned back to Minako and narrowed his eyes, "You can act all sweet and shit but that doesn't hide your true nature."

She didn't flinch at his accusation though a flash of hurt passed briefly through her eyes before she asked, "What makes you say that?"

Taking two long strides, Shinjiro towered over her and swiftly grabbed her wrist in a firm grip, pressing his fingers against her pulse...or rather–

"No pulse. It's like you're not even alive." the man stated bluntly as a faint scowl marred his face, "And I bet Hamuko's not your real name either."

Minako was at a loss for words as her expression blanked out before Shinjiro released his grip on her and tucked his hands into his pockets.

"Save it. I won't tell anyone." he continued, accurately guessing at her thoughts, "I doubt you're here to hurt him, or any of us for that matter, even if you do have that strange aura..." he paused before looking away with a closed eye, "I won't tell you what's right or wrong but... You have a thing for him, don't you?"

Minako looked away as she folded her arms defensively in front of her.

"... I'll tell him when it's right." She said lowly, "I promise."

"Don't promise _me_ anything," came his scolding scoff, "Promise _yourself_ that...for _his_ sake."

That said, he swiftly turned around and left without another word.

Koromaru poked his head into the room and looked at her with soulful eyes before following the tall male.

Breathing in shakily, Minako raised her eyes to look at Minato's sleeping form with a pain-filled expression.

She turned away soon after.

**1****st ****Person Point of View**

There were incomprehensible mumbles as another strange feeling pulled me from my sleep, causing my heart to clench anxiously.

Blearily, I opened my eyes partially to see Minako quietly leaving the room with her head bowed and her shoulders hunched over, looking far more resigned than before.

As the door blocked her from my limited view, I felt that I should have said _something_ to her.

Something...

Like, thank you for keeping me company.

And...

Please don't go...

**Rank 7 – Complete!**


	8. Rank 8

**Author's Note: I personally think this is the breather rank before the rank gets intense in which choices do matter. Me and Gin Nanashi (thank you for helping out!) have been busy this week and so we manage to upload rank 8. We talked it over and hope that we have both 9 and 10 up by Saturday! If for some reason that these ranks are not up yet, we apologize for any inconvenience. This is a shout to a certain social link… so let's see if you find it! Enjoy! **

**Wednesday, November 18, 2009**

Sitting at the low table, I quietly fiddled with my MP3 as I listened lazily to the various students coming in and out to visit and chat with either me or my roommates.

We were currently in the Godaigo Inn, a well-established ryokan where we were staying during the nights for our school trip to Kyoto, and all of us were hoping that it would be a memorable experience despite the relatively cliche setting.

A loud whoop caught my attention as I glanced up from my work to see Junpei and Ryoji chatting amiably with Kenji and Kazushi; the first three seemed to be teasing the latter about girls (or something to that effect) if the athlete's confused state was anything to go by.

Speaking of Junpei and Ryoji, I spoke with them earlier today in the afternoon...

(Flashback)

Stretching out my sore body, I sighed in relief as I finally got a break from being dragged all over the place by my more excitable friends. I had hoped to grab a quick drink and return to my room for a nap when an arm wrapped around my shoulders and jerked me towards a bench. I sat down with a grunt and gazed blankly at one grinning Junpei and one dazed Ryoji.

The former obviously wanted to drag me into their conversation on whatever caught their fancy this time.

"Did you get a chance to visit the souvenir shop yet?" Ryoji started as he snapped out of whatever trance he was in and smiled at me, "It has all sorts of neat things that we wouldn't be able to find back home. I even bought this ring as a souvenir!"

That said, I took note of the silver band around his finger; it was simple but elegant though...

"Man, I never expected you to get such a girly accessory," Junpei commented though his grin belied what could've been harsh words, "But that's not what's really interesting."

He leaned forward as if he was about to tell some great secret, "What Ryoji is _really _trying to tell you is _who_ helped him pick it out. Just take a look over there!"

With that said, Junpei twirled me around and gestured towards the direction that he wanted me to look at. That was when I spotted a familiar face bustling around the quaint souvenir shop. It was Minako.

She was helping out a customer at the time and her signature smile was ever-present on her lips.

Since she was working for the hotel, Minako wore a simple yukata with her sleeves tied back to avoid getting caught in anything.

She seemed to be doing well now in comparison to the last time I saw her...

"From what she'd told me, Hamuko-chan's just here to help out for the school trip," Ryoji explained, watching Minako assist another customer with soft eyes.

A while back, Junpei had told me all about the time when Minako, or "Hamuko" as he and the others came to know her as, had visited me along with plenty of rants that I should bring her over again so that he could get to know her better.

(I had promptly ignored him then.)

"Looks like she's doing well," I commented blandly, following her movements through half-lidded eyes.

Ryoji hummed softly before drifting off into that daze I'd seen him in earlier, "You know... There's something about her that caught my attention... It's like...nostalgia?" He seemed puzzled as did I (didn't he say something to that effect about me?) before continuing, "I feel like I know her from somewhere...like we've known each other for a long time..." a wistful look that I'd seen quite often on Minako's face appeared on his, "We didn't talk much but still...there's something about her..."

"Maybe you two are long lost lovers or something," Junpei added with a suggestive waggle to his brows.

I resisted the urge to push him over as I pointed out, "She's coming over here."

Immediately, the two straightened up as I returned to my usual slouch.

There was a slight skip in her movement as Minako stopped in front of us with a bright smile.

"Hello again," she greeted fondly, "How are you guys enjoying your stay?"

"Only awesomely~!" Junpei answered with a cheesy grin, "You're here after all, Hamu-tan~!"

Minako seemed amused with his pick-up lines, as if he were her goofy brother from another mother practicing to catch a girlfriend.

Her attention was soon diverted as Ryoji gently caught her hand in his and brought it to his lips, placing a chaste kiss on the back of her hand, "And so we meet again, my dearest."

Her eyes widened in surprise (though I could've sworn that there'd been another emotion carefully hidden away) as a rosy blush painted itself on her cheeks.

She gave him a small smile before slipping her hand out of his grip as politely as she could (and much faster than the times she held my hand).

"We only met a few moments ago," Minako reminded him gently, almost maternally, "But it is good to see you again, Ryoji-kun."

"Awww, come on, Hamu-tan! You know Ryoji can't help his princely nature!" Junpei butted in, throwing an arm around her shoulder, "He just likes showing affection to girls, especially the ones he likes!"

Poor Ryoji looked so embarrassed at being (essentially) called a womanizer as Minako looked down for some reason...and there was that aura of sadness around her again.

"Do you know when the hot springs will be open for us, Hamuko-chan?" Ryoji suddenly asked and I wondered if he'd also caught onto her sudden gloom.

"Oh, um... It'll be open for males in about three hours today and it'll be specially reserved for your school tomorrow as well," Minako replied after having shaken off whatever dark clouds hung over her mind and recollecting her thoughts.

"Thank you," I told her as sincerely as I could, for more than just answering Ryoji's question.

She looked up at me in surprise before smiling ever so softly and sketching a bow in parting as she returned to her work without another word.

(Present)

After that, we'd lounged around the common area for a bit before retiring to our designated room.

Shaking off my thoughts, I blinked upon noticing that Kenji and Kazushi had left already while Junpei and Ryoji had crashed on the futons and were snoring away...at least, in Junpei's case he was snoring.

With a silent sigh, I ignored their sprawled forms and changed into the inn's yukata.

I was going to spend some free time in the lounge downstairs when I noticed the corner of a piece of paper tucked just under the door.

Picking it up, I saw the following in neat calligraphy:

_Want to bathe together in the hot spring tonight? I know that I'm not supposed to be doing this but I want you to be there with me. –Minako_

I blinked and recalled that it was traditional for males and females to bathe separately (though there were some mixed onsens nowadays).

Still, what if she was already waiting for me? It would be dangerous to leave her out there all alone even though I could get into trouble for doing this... Besides, who knew what kind of person would take advantage of her naive outlook?

And this _is_ the hot spring we're talking about so who knows what could happen?

Pushing aside my self-preservatory insticts, I chose to defy the sacred law of never being in the same hot spring as the opposite gender in order to make sure that Minako was okay.

(Dear Kami-sama, please don't smite me...or rather, please don't let me be found out by anyone. _Especially_ not Mitsuru-senpai.)

It was late in the evening and the stars glittered alongside the moon when I made my way to the open-air bath.

The sign had been changed to "Men Only" so I felt a bit safer as I walked inside, changed into a towel and stepped outside.

Looking around, I saw no one else. Maybe she was somewhere else? Or maybe she decided to be smart and–

My thoughts were jarred as small hands grabbed onto mine in a familiarly firm but gentle grip.

Tilting my head towards that direction, I gazed into large red eyes and stared for a moment, noticing that she too was only wearing a towel around her body and wondering how badly I'd get executed if I were to be caught right now.

Randomly, I also noted that Minako didn't release her ponytail.

"Thank you for coming out here," she whispered softly, snapping me out of my daze.

I nodded a bit stiffly and the two of us stepped into the hot spring. The water was nice and warm and I found myself relaxing despite our precarious situation. It was actually making me a bit sleepy... We simply soaked in peace until we suddenly heard voices.

"After a long day at work, it's nice to cool off!" one voice said, sighing happily from behind the door to the changing room.

"Hehe, just imagine if there _was_ a girl still in there! She'd totally freak out!" another voice added, shuffling around from behind the screen.

Instantly alert, I gently pulled Minako with me towards a hollow opening in the center boulder; it was big enough to hide four people it seems.

My heart was pounding from the possibility of getting caught. Not to mention that I felt really awkward being pressed this closely to Minako... The lack of clothing only made me that much more aware.

"Why are we hiding?" Minako asked softly, cupping her mouth to prevent the sound from escaping too far.

"Right now, the bath is open to men only," I replied just as quietly, mimicking her actions despite how childish they seemed at the moment.

"Oh... I guess I'll stay here until they leave then," Minako whispered into my ear.

At this point, I wasn't sure if I was blushing from the heat or... I think my brain fried.

I lost track of time but, thankfully, the men that we heard didn't stay too long before they left and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

We peeked around the corner to make sure that no one else was around before leaving the hollow area.

For a moment, we simply sat and soaked in silence before Minako spoke up.

"Hey, Minato-kun?" I hummed a bit to show that I was listening as I sunk a little deeper into the water, "... Thank you."

Her voice sounded so small and fragile that I snapped open my eyes just to make sure that she was still there, that she didn't just fade away or something.

Minako was staring at her hands with an undecipherable look on her face; I found that I didn't like it, not knowing what she was thinking that is...

"You've been protecting me ever since we've met," she continued as she clasped her hands over her heart and looked straight at me, "I...want to do the same for you. I want to protect you...!"

(I still remember how her eyes burned like flames: bright, beautiful, consuming...)

I had to pause and collect my thoughts. How long had it been since I'd relied on someone to protect me? I hadn't relied on another person since that fateful night... I'd grown tired of those pitying eyes that followed my every move so I'd just...grown up. I learned to be independent, to rely on myself. But... That's not quite true anymore, is it? Ever since I'd returned here, to my hometown, I've been changing. I've learned to rely on my friends as much as they rely on me... It's a mutual relationship that was never spoken of.

"You're...always looking out for others too." I spoke at long last as I captured her gaze, "But sometimes I wonder... The truth is, you want people to know that you want someone to be there for you as well... Right?"

Eloquent I was not, but I'd desperately hoped that what I said got through to her: she wasn't alone, not anymore, not as long as I'm here.

And she pulled me into a tight embrace.

I guessed this was her way of saying yes.

A little while later, we managed to sneak out without anyone seeing us together and bid each other goodnight.

The next day, I didn't see Minako working at the souvenir shop.

A strange feeling made my stomach churn and I hoped that tonight's hot spring session with the guys wouldn't end too disastrously.

**Rank 8 – Complete!**


	9. Rank 9

**Author's Note: Double Update! Much more will be said after the last rank is up. Enjoy!**

**Tuesday, December 8, 2009**

The first days of December passed slowly and dreadfully as the team decided to stop exploring Tartarus after everything that'd happened...

Ryoji Mochizuki, our _friend_, was the Appraiser. He was _Death_ incarnate. And he signals Nyx's approaching arrival and eventual descent upon Earth to bring about the Fall.

Life as we knew it would soon cease to exist.

How ironic...

Just when I was finally _living_...

I will die.

(_"Nyx cannot be defeated." he said._)

The evenings that I once spent hanging out with friends were now cut down to chilling at the mall or hanging out in my room though the latter activity is getting rarer and rarer as time went by.

The atmosphere surrounding this dorm...surrounding all of us...it almost hurts to breathe given how thick the tension is between us...between them and me.

Rolling onto my side and smashing my face into my pillow in a half-hearted attempt to suffocate myself, I wondered if I should just spend the rest of the day in my room since the chilly but sunny day outside seemed to be mocking me with its brightness.

Briefly, I eyed my Evoker and wondered if I could summon Thanatos to destroy the sun in all of its vain glory.

A rattle on my window snapped me out of my admittedly insane thoughts as I propped myself up on my elbows and blinked slowly, wondering if my mind was playing tricks on me. But another shudder came from the glass pane and I forced myself out of bed to take a look outside. And there she was, waiting for me patiently just as she did on that first night.

She was even sporting her winter outfit again though that was to be expected since Winter had rolled in once more.

I gestured to her that I'd be down soon before I straightened my outfit, untangled the wire for my headphones and paused as I looked over my Evoker. My fingers itched to use it again given how long it's been... After a moment of debate, I decided to bring it with me as well (maybe I could hit Tartarus afterwards...?) and hid it underneath my jacket.

Slipping downstairs, I noticed that the low hum of conversation paused briefly when I appeared in the lounge and I inwardly grimaced at just how _wrong_ everything seemed to be now before I forcefully shoved it out of my mind and closed the door slowly behind me.

I sighed silently, causing my breath to become visible like fog, and squinted my eyes at how bright the sun was before focusing on Minako.

She smiled gently at me and my heart jumped at the sight. How long had it been since someone had smiled so warmly at me? I mentally smacked myself. It had barely been five days since Ryoji confessed to being the Appraiser and here I am moping about how everything's crashed and burned. Still, as Minako held my hand, holding it more firmly than before, I felt a rush of gratitude...before confusion set in.

Her hands were a bit cold but, more importantly, she seemed even more reluctant to part than before...still, she slipped out of my grip after noticing my look.

"Hey, can we go and have some fun together?" She asked rather formally.

"Of course," I responded with a nod.

As we walked together, I tried to decipher what was going through her mind but I couldn't. All I knew was that she seemed...resigned. But for what? My thoughts were derailed when we reached Game Panic and Minako ran up to the crane game.

It was obvious that she was curious about the machine as well as the Jack Frost dolls that were up for grabs.

Out of boredom, I decided to try it out and inserted a 100-yen coin into the machine.

Carefully aiming for the prize, a Jack Frost doll that seemed to be relatively free from constraint and close to the drop box, I maneuvered the crane over it before pressing the button to lower the claw. The three talons carefully closed over the soft plush before slowly rising and moving over to the drop box–_bump_!

I cursed under my breath and glared dully at the downed doll as its beady black eyes twinkled (_twinkled_!) at me; I swear, all crane games are rigged in one way or another because that shot should've _made it in_!

A giggle broke me out of my murderous thoughts as Minako patted me on the back, "It was a good try, Minato-kun. You _almost_ got it in!" Not good enough, I grunted. She simply smiled at my frustration before looking away as her expression turned wistful, "It seems that luck only comes to those Fortuna smiles upon..." Her eyes glazed over as if she was lost in thought before she whispered softly, "I wish I was lucky. Then maybe..."

She trailed off, leaving me to wonder about her words once more, before she suddenly pointed at my chest.

"Hey, can I see your MP3 player again? I want to see what other songs you have." Minako asked with an oddly shy smile.

Given just how many songs I _do_ have, I'm not surprised that she wanted another look so I nodded in agreement and, after untangling the wire and disconnecting the MP3 player from my headphones and slipping it over my head, held it out for her to take.

Just as she was about to take it, a blur shot out from the darkness (from underneath the crane machine, I noted) and grabbed the portable music player before landing in front of us.

"Mrreow~," came a purr as I stared (stupidly) at the familiar cat in front of me.

"Isn't that...?" Minako started with wide eyes.

A gleam seemed to have appeared in its eyes as it flicked its tail at us and _shot off_, making off with _my_ MP3 player.

Oh. Hell. No.

"After 'em!" Minako exclaimed, sprinting after the feline.

I quickly followed suit and caught up to her; she ran surprisingly fast.

The cat darted under porches and atop stone walls, turning around corners and ducking into alleyways.

I was lucky to have not lost sight of the cat but I had the feeling that it was just playing with us; it wouldn't surprise me.

"I'm sorry," Minako's guilt-laden voice made its way to my ears, "It's all my fault. If I hadn't–"

"Don't worry about it," I cut her off with a small smile (how long had it been since I could just _run_ and _chase_ and have an overall _hunt_?), "We'll get it back sooner or later."

Of course, it just had to be later since the cat seemed intent on making its debut as Tatsumi Port Island's only feline tour guide. From Paulownia Mall, we zipped into the various alleyways, turning corners and avoiding people, before dashing through the local neighborhoods and into Iwatodai Strip Mall, almost getting distracted by the wonderful scent of food but successfully overcoming the trials. Then, we were led into another part of the local residential areas where we nearly got caught trespassing whenever the cat decided to be evil and dash over the fence to the other side.

I was rather surprised that Minako was able to keep up with my pace since I'd toughened up from all of the training I'd done in Tartarus as well as with Kazushi and the others.

By the time the cat decided to call it quits in front of the school, we'd circled the island at least once and even backtracked to the malls a few instances.

Stopping in front of the cat, I scowled as it looked up at me with those big, glistening eyes...before it dropped my MP3 in front of me and pranced off with its tail high in the sky like a banner of victory.

For a moment, I just stared...before collapsing onto my bottom in minor exhaustion. Thinking it over, I couldn't help but snort in amusement at the irony of it all–me, the Master of Tartarus, done in by a cat who'd been half-starved mere months prior.

I heard soft footsteps approaching me and leaned back on my palms as Minako sat down besides me, gazing in the direction of the cat with a thoughtful expression, "Hey, wasn't that cat the one that we fed together that one time?"

I simply nodded in response and closed my eyes, feeling a little sleepy now.

Minako shuffled a bit before I felt a shadow cast over me.

Opening my eyes, I looked up at her to see her holding my MP3 by the strap.

Leaning forward, she slipped the blue fabric around my neck as I reached up to fix it.

At the moment that our hands touched, I felt a familiar cold chill run down my spine before that dreaded hour fell upon us.

The sky turned an eerie shade of green and the moon faded from an enchanting silver into a murky yellow, illuminating the streaks of crimson blood that were found dripping from walls and splattered against the floor, as Gekkoukan High School morphed and turned into the Tower of Demise known as Tartarus, the secret place where I and my friends visited so many hours in the past to eradicate the Shadows...

But none of those things mattered as I stared in front of me in pure shock.

Minako hadn't transmogrified into a coffin; she was still here with me.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

"You're still active during the Dark Hour," I replied with a hint of confusion in my voice.

Again she tilted her head though in the other direction and asked, "Isn't this what happens every night since ten years ago?"

So, Minako had been aware of the Dark Hour all along and yet she didn't tell me anything about it...

Well, I could see why since I too had hidden my activities from her in fear that she wouldn't understand.

Besides, who would believe in a hidden hour crawling with monstrous beings?

"Do you know about Shadows and Personas?" I finally asked her after calming down.

Abruptly, Minako looked away and remained silent as if hesitant to speak when, the next thing I knew, she was violently thrown aside and I jumped to my feet in alarm.

"Minako!"

My heart felt like it leapt to my throat and my hands felt empty without my usual blade.

She flew several feet across the street and rolled until she finally slammed into a tree with a thud and a near-silent groan.

I wanted to run to her, to check up on her, but my battle instincts _screamed_ at me.

Turning towards the direction of Tartarus, I found myself face to face with three Shadows; they all looked like tall court jesters with large hands coming out of their backs and clasped around them.

Shadows normally appeared _inside_ of Tartarus though there had been a few cases of Shadows appearing outside of it as well but...why?

Pushing my confusion to the back of my mind, I focused on the battle in front of me and soon recognized the Shadows to be of the Magical Magus kind, which were weak to fire.

Having gathered the necessary information, I felt more confident despite being without my weapon and stared down my enemies.

Their attention was on me.

Good.

No matter what, I _have_ to protect her.

Pulling out my Evoker, I placed the muzzle flat against my temple and narrowed my eyes.

"Come, Thanatos!" I called out as I pulled the trigger...

But where was the shattering of glass and the surge of power?

My heart felt like it dropped into my stomach when my Persona didn't appear and I broke into a cold sweat as I realized.

Helpless. I'm completely, utterly helpless. _Shit_.

A large hand came towards me and I leapt backwards when another sideswiped me. I fumbled and dropped my Evoker. Another suddenly appeared behind me and grabbed me by the collar before carelessly throwing me against the school fence.

Falling to the ground, I grunted in pain but pushed myself up as my thoughts swam around in my mind.

What can I do? What can I do without my Persona? I didn't even have a proper weapon on me! At this rate... At this rate...!

From the corner of my eyes, Minako coughed a few times and was trembling as she pushed herself onto her knees, now surrounded by the malevolent Shadows.

Was this how it's going to _end_? With me _useless_ and _powerless_ against Shadows that I've defeated before instead of falling to Nyx? With Minako struggling to fend for her _life_?

Minako... I clenched my fists and tried to stand. I _needed_ to stand. I _have_ to fight. If I don't... If I don't, then Minako will...!

A small burst of power exploded in front of me, throwing me back once more, and I slammed against the wall again, falling onto my bottom.

I can't protect her... I can't protect Minako from them... Not without a weapon, not without a _Persona_... And now, she'll have to pay with her life.

Damn it... _Damn it_...!

I wish I could tell her that I'm sorry.

I wish...

The Shadows seemed to laugh menacingly as they made their way towards her.

I wish I could...

But I couldn't get up, I could barely twitch a finger, and now I'll be forced to watch as the Shadows devoured her, turning her into one of the Lost.

Minako...!

"No..."

Her voice was so soft...so small...

"This can't end like this..."

She was still trembling and her hands were scrambling for purchase in front of her...

"This... All of this... This is my fault..."

One hand grabbed onto my fallen Evoker and my eyes widened.

"It's my fault that Minato-kun's hurt..."

Tears clung to her lashes as those bright red eyes of hers burned...

"No more... I don't want to see him in pain ever again...! Never again!"

Like flames of _vengeance_.

"PERSONA!"

Blue mist swirled around her small form as the familiar sound of glass shattering resonated through the otherwise silent night.

My breath hitched as I saw her other self manifest in a familiar form: a human face and a mechanical body...

Had she not been of the opposite gender... Had her face been dark instead of light, hair short and silver instead of long and copper, torso blue instead of gold, had her lyre not been heart-shaped... Had her Persona not been the polar opposite... Then I could've sworn that it was _my _Orpheus who had appeared once more.

(In the calm recesses of my mind, I vaguely realized that I hadn't summoned Orpheus in a long time... not after receiving other, stronger Personas to call upon...)

"Orpheus, Agidyne!" Minako shouted, clothes swaying as power _surged_ forth.

Notes danced and echoed in the otherwise calm night as nimble fingers played across the strings of her harp, playing that deadly but beautiful bolero that called upon burning flames to consume the shrieking Shadows.

The pain-filled cries of their enemies died out as embers crackled quietly alongside the fading music as her Orpheus disappeared in gentle light.

All was silent now save for her shuddering breaths and I pushed myself up once more to get to her but she stumbled _away_ from me with wide eyes...with eyes so full of _horror_ and _guilt_ and _pain_ and _sorrow_ that I froze... I stupidly _froze_.

Because she was terrified...terrified of how my view of her would change...she stepped back.

"Again..." her voice was trembling with emotion, _so much emotion_, "Shadows are...always hurting you, aren't they...? Here... In Tartarus... On nights of the full moon... Before..." I knew... I _knew_ that everything will change now no matter what I did. "In the end, Shadows really have no other purpose _but_ to hurt you... And yet..." her expression was so lost, so hurt, so _lonely_, "Why...? Why do I... I...! I-I don't _want_ to hurt you...! I just... I just want to..." and then she stopped and her expressions ceased to be...except _empty_, "What am I saying? It doesn't matter what _I_ want... I...am nothing after all... Nothing...but a Shadow."

As if all life had been drained from her, Minako fell silent and stared blankly at the Evoker in her hands.

The silver gun slipped through her fingers and clattered noisily on the floor.

She took a step back...and then another...and then another before she melted into the darkness of the night.

I stared at where she had been, breathing shallowly, as I tried to sort through everything that had happened.

Energy began to course through my body now that she had left.

Forcing myself to move, I pushed myself onto my feet and stumbled towards the fallen Evoker before dropping to my knees again.

I cradled the weapon in my hands, just staring at it, before looking towards the green sky, at the ominous moon...

I had been so blind...to have not acknowledged any of the hints she'd dropped.

The flames finally died out with a final snap...

But the Dark Hour continued to beckon me with its existence.

**Rank 9 – Complete!**


	10. Rank 10

**Saturday, January 30, 2010**

Tomorrow was the Promised Day, the day during which Nyx would descend upon the world and destroy the will of the living.

It had been two long months filled with clashing feelings and nearly debilitating fear of the future but...

I breathed deeply and leaned my palms against the counter, resting my forehead against the cool glass mirror and closing my eyes.

Yukari, Junpei, Akihiko, Fuuka, Mitsuru, Ken, Aigis, Koromaru... _Everyone_ in SEES has made up their minds...even Shinjiro would've if he were still with us... We are all resolved to see this through to, not the end, not the beginning, but a continuation of our lives so that we may continue to learn, experience, mature, _live_ to the fullest capacity. Our hearts are strong... Our bonds unbreakable... The power I hold is the power that they've given me...

But, there was one bond that I had yet to mend, that I desperately _wanted_ to mend, and that bond...is the one that I hold with Minako.

After that incident in front of Tartarus, she no longer appeared before me in that random pattern of hers; she stopped her usual habit of waiting outside for me...

Minako wasn't particularly afraid of the Shadows... Rather, she was afraid of herself.

Her very existence is a contradiction.

Just as it had been with Ryoji...

Now I know why Ryoji found her to be so familiar to him...why she was so gentle with him...the two of them are of the same essence–they are Shadows who have developed an ego.

First Ryoji and then Minako...they had both suffered greatly because of their very nature.

She couldn't tell me... She didn't want to tell me... She didn't have to tell me...

I just... I just want to see her again, but... Will she want to see me again?

A strange feeling welled up inside of me. It was a familiar, warm feeling. It was the feeling I always got when-!

My eyes snapped open and I blinked at the strange sight before I stumbled backwards in surprise for, in the mirror's image, there was a reflection of me...of another me.

This other me was sitting across from my current position on the edge of my bed.

This other me looked so sad and so lonely...

The emotions seemed almost out of place on my reflected face given how well I'd learned to hide my expressions.

But that seemed insignificant in comparison to the fact that a dark and blue aura surrounded the other me, casting shadows across his face in an almost eerie manner.

And the most notable feature was his eyes... His eyes burned a bright gold color, the opposite of my cool silver ones.

I quickly turned around and my breath hitched.

The other me wasn't there.

Instead, it was Minako.

And she wore something that I'd never expected her to wear–the Gekkoukan High School uniform for female students.

Her MP3 player had been set aside on top of my desk.

Wringing her hands together, Minako glanced up at me nervously before dropping her gaze and closing her eyes tightly.

"Well, you know what I am now," she started as calmly as she could though her voice still trembled, "I...am a Shadow, the true self. I was never human to begin with..."

How many times had I gone through this meeting in my head? Dozens upon dozens of times. And yet, despite all of that, I still couldn't find the right words to say as I remembered that night, as I remembered being utterly _useless_.

"I'm sorry...!" I suddenly blurt out, taking a half-step forward, "It's my fault that-!"

But she shook her head in disagreement, "No, Minato-kun, it's not your fault," her hands clutched one another tightly, "If anything... If anything, the fault's mine...!" her head was bowed but I could _hear_ the self-loathing evident in her voice, "How could _I_, something so attuned to that cursed hour, have forgotten the time?"

That... That right there needed to stop. The dehumanization process that's she's putting herself through...

I took a step forward, insisting, "Stop. Stop blaming yourself," I cursed my lack of eloquence, "Please... _I_ don't think that's the way it happened."

Still, Minako shook her head in disagreement and I wondered just _how_ I could convince her that she's blameless, that she saved me in the end.

"Could you...sit down with me?" she asked hesitantly, still resigned to whatever self-loathing she had.

Not knowing what else to say, I complied and sat down beside her, wondering where all of my charisma and courage had gone.

She was clutching her hands together tightly again as she spoke slowly, "This situation...cannot be changed. I knew that from the very beginning, but I...I lied to myself...and to you, Minato-kun," her lips pursed as if to hold back a cry, "I am nothing more than a sword and shield...tools to be used at your disposal."

"No," I immediately interjected, "You're not. You're not a tool. You're Minako. You'll always be Minako. So... Don't think that..."

She needed to know... She needed to know just how _dear_ she is to me. I...

A small smile, still tinge with that resigned sorrow that had come to characterized her now, appeared on her lips. "The Promised Day draws near..." she's changing topics, "You've resolved to prevent the Fall, but...you're still scared, aren't you?" I am. "Scared of leaving behind regrets." I'm terrified. "That's why you wished to meet me one last time..."

Her eyes were still closed. She was still hiding. She didn't want to see the cruel reality that laid before her. _I_ didn't want to see how all of this was breaking apart before me. But she needed to... I needed to... _We_ needed to face ourselves, to accept the path in front of us.

"Please..." I whispered, shifting closer to her, willing for her to _listen_ to me, "_Please_..."

"Even now," she continued after a second of hesitation, "I don't know why I appear before you like this... Was it you? Or was it me?" I knew what I wanted. "... You already know, don't you? Feelings can become one's strength...emotions can bring about many changes."

I paused. Maybe I was going about this the wrong way. Maybe _I'm _the one who needs to listen, like I always did with others…but _she's_ not an _other_. She's..._me_.

"Are you afraid?" I suddenly asked her as my thoughts raced, "Of the future?"

She was silent for a moment, and I knew that she knew that I was just biding time for us, before answering slowly, "I was... I still am...afraid. I was... I am you, after all... I am the you who was hurt after that accident."

My heart clenched at being reminded of the night that changed everything.

"That beautiful smile of yours soon faded from your face... You'd lost the will to live... You would've embraced death..." her voice had become so quiet that I had to strain my ears to hear her, "You thought that emotions were too painful to bare. Happiness... Sadness... You can't have one without the other but you didn't want to hurt anymore... So you stopped."

If I feel nothing...then I won't hurt.

"Everything... Everything was thrown away and you resolved that no one would ever have that much power over you anymore."

If I stay away from everyone...then I won't hurt.

"And so, you wore your façade, your mask of neutrality... Nothing would ever faze you, not even the things you once loved, and so nothing would hurt you."

Pain is bad. Numb my pain.

"You remained quiet and only spoke when you were spoken to... But then you came _here_," a small smile graced her lips again, still sad, still resigned, still lonely, but also full of pride, "You're still quiet. You still only speak when you're spoken to. But you're surrounded by your friends now. You've...changed," and the resignation overpowered all of those other emotions, "You will continue to change. It's in human nature to adapt to new surroundings. But I... Although I'm you, in a way, that doesn't change the fact that I'm a _Shadow_. My fate is not mine to be decided."

I didn't know what to say. There was truth in her words. I had changed since I'd come here.

Still, I wanted to comfort her _so badly_.

I...

I reached out a hand and cupped her face, gently stroking her cheek.

The warmth that I had felt from her in the beginning was gone.

All that remained was the coldness that I'd felt previously in her hands...the coldness that I'd sense when fighting against...Shadows.

She seemed to have read my thoughts as she smiled wryly and placed a hand over mine before placing it on her chest.

There was no steady rise and fall, no rhythmic beat of her heart.

"You see now?" she whispered, "I carry no signs of being alive. I don't even know how my body functions," she paused and cradled my hand between hers as her smile gained a bit of happiness, "But, you know, whenever you hold my hand or whenever I hold yours, I feel like I shouldn't let go...because you're so _warm_. I don't _want_ to let go. But..."

She bit her bottom lip as she loosened her grip reluctantly, not wanting to part, wanting this to last forever, and her face was so obviously distraught despite having closed the window to her soul.

"Show me..." I whispered to her, holding onto her hands before she could take them away, "Show me how you feel, and we can get through this together."

A shudder racked her body as she breathed (because I won't believe that she's not alive when she's so obviously _here_) and hesitated before her eyes slowly fluttered open. Tears clung to her lashes as she looked up at me with her large, soulful eyes that were filled with so much _despair_ and _loneliness_ and _hopelessness_ before she buried her head into my chest and cried silently.

I pulled her onto my lap and embraced her tightly.

She said that she didn't want to let me go.

Well, _I_ didn't want to let _her_ go either.

(And I dutifully ignored the little voice that spoke of narcissism and self-love.)

After some time, how long I knew not, Minako stopped shivering and remained contently curled up against me.

"It's strange..." she murmured as she laced her fingers with mine, "Considering what I am, I shouldn't be able to feel...and yet I have an ego," a pause, "Still... Are these feelings truly mine? I am but a reflection after all. Something born from another..." I wasn't sure how to answer that but she huffed a laugh regardless, "I don't know what to think anymore... I don't know what to _feel_ anymore... I just..." she paused and tensed and breathed in sharply before whispering with a sort of awe that came with enlightenment, "All I know...is that my heart _yearns_ for what cannot be."

My heart pounded and my thoughts swirled as I pondered, wondered, _hoped_ that she was saying what I thought she was saying.

"Minato-kun, I..."

_Ba-bump._

"I _love_ you."

I swallowed thickly, trying to get my emotions under control, as I wondered about the implications of her confession.

She fell in love with me despite knowing about the severity of the situation.

Through her interactions with me, she slowly learned and accepted that, not only did she carry _my_ discarded emotions but that, she had developed her own as well.

As she went through this, she had been crying out for help.

And I was the only one who could hear her.

Was our meeting pure fate?

Or was it something that both of us yearned for?

Either way, I too came to accept her as a person.

I too...had fallen in love with her.

Too much... I was feeling too much...!

I parted my lips to answer her but a pale finger stopped me and I stared at her, willing her to understand.

"Don't..." she whispered as tears began to fall, "If you love me in return, then don't tell me. It would hurt too much to know..."

Her cold hands cupped my face as she rested her forehead against mine and I _knew_ what would happen next.

Minako began to glow a bright blue aura as power surged through my body, causing wind to circle around the two of us.

Her body began dissipating and I quickly stood up despite knowing that I could do _nothing_ and yet wanting to do _something_.

I heard the familiar shattering of glass as the blue aura transformed into who I recognized as Orpheus..._my_ Orpheus.

And yet, somehow, this Orpheus felt so much _less empty,_ so much _brighter_, as if his colors were somehow given _life_.

And then he glowed again as the blue aura around us intensified into white light, blinding me for a moment before settling down.

Orpheus had transformed, incorporating certain aspects of Minako's Orpheus, as his face lightened into a porcelain color, his hair took on the hue of the sun, and his torso was dyed red and accentuated with gold.

_Thou art I… And I am thou… Thou hast established a genuine bond…_

Those mysterious words echoed in my mind as Orpheus, no...as _Orpheus Telos_ faded and took on the form of a tarot card, the very one that represents the bond between me and Minako–the Fool whose number is 22.

As the rush of power died down and the card disappeared, I felt a weight settle on my free hand and held it up.

It was a mask, plain and featureless.

Just then, I heard a familiar voice speak within my mind.

"Well, well… It seems that you've discovered each of the Social Links, and formed strong bonds with them all." Igor chuckled with evident delight, "In order to have gotten on so well, with so many different people… You must have worn so many faces…" I grimaced at that; it made my bonds sound so...fake, "Perhaps you'll find this useful, since you seem to be able to adopt any sort of face… A cipher like you… should have this." What was a mask supposed to do? "With it, you'll be able to summon… that Persona…" My heart jumped at the thought and I clutched onto the gift a little tighter. "I'll be looking forward to it. Until another time then..."

His voice faded and I suddenly felt drained as I stumbled over to my bed and flopped listlessly onto it.

Having listened to Igor speak, I suddenly recollected the time I visited the Velvet Room after..._that_ night...

(Flashback)

_"I...am nothing after all... Nothing...but a Shadow."_

Her words continued to circle around in my mind as I slowly made my way into the empty alleyway underneath Mandragora Karaoke Bar. The Dark Hour had been long gone by the time I'd snapped out of my daze. But I hadn't wanted to return to the dorm so quickly, not when I had questions that needed to be answered. Especially since Minako...

My heart gave a painful thump.

Taking a moment to compose myself, I rubbed my hands over my face and breathed deeply before pulling out the Velvet Key.

A familiar lightheadedness passed over me when I stepped foot into this other dimension before I sat down in the chair provided for guests such as myself (though I'd yet to see another Wild Card).

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may I assist you, valued guest?"

Igor was, as always, sitting across from me on the opposite side of the round table.

The Velvet Room was still on its seemingly endless path ascending upwards but I ignored it as I asked, "What can you tell me about the Fool? More specifically, the Fool whose number is 22?"

The dwarfish man fixed his unblinking and bloodshot eyes on me but I pushed back the uneasiness that usually came with his close scrutiny. After a moment, he raised a hand and two cards from atop the tarot deck, which was placed in the center of the table, flipped over to reveal the two Fools.

"The number zero," Igor started to say as he folded his hands underneath his long nose, "I have told you that it is a number of endless possibilities; this was a reference to the number of Personas that you could call upon." I nodded in understanding. "It is also the beginning of a journey and often represents the adventurer himself, or you in this case." Again, I nodded in understanding. "In reference to your Social Link, this Arcana represents your group of friends, yes? They were the beginning of this journey of yours."

He then gestured to the other Fool, "Now this one...the number 22 is the last of the Major Arcana; it signifies the highest trump." A trump card is one that outranks and prevails over another; for it to be the highest one... "But heed my words," I straightened up with alarm as Igor rarely gave away straightforward answers, "The greater the victory may also mean the greater the loss." A chill ran down my spine at the ominous words as I was suddenly reminded of that strange takoyaki lady's warning. "For every side shown, there is a side hidden, secret, rejected from reality." I was confused as to where he was going with this but it didn't stop the bad feeling from growing. "But what happens when this part becomes tangible? Even more so, what happens when this half...loves?" I wasn't sure what to make of his cryptic words but I knew that they held some weight to my situation. "Regardless, valued guest, you must remember above all else that you have but one rule to abide by as per your _contract_."

I smiled wryly at that.

_"I chooseth this fate of mine own free will."_

And he grinned.

(Present)

"The highest trump..." I murmured aloud as I lifted my hand and stared at the Colorless Mask, "My Ultimate Persona... Orpheus Telos..."

A sigh heaved itself through my lips as I dropped the mask over my face and closed my eyes.

Too many things had happened... Too many things have changed...

_Minako..._

Muffled music played from beside me and I snapped back to reality, jerking upright.

Looking around, I paused as my eyes fell upon a familiar cylindrical device coupled with those nostalgic red-accentuated headphones.

Minako's MP3 still existed.

Slowly setting down the mask on top of the table, I carefully picked up the music player and leaned against the headrest of my bed.

Placing her headphones over my ears, I pressed play when the music died away and froze upon suddenly hearing my voice sing from the earpiece.

I recognized it from the time we did karaoke together...

"_Mabayuku kagayaku hitotoki minna to issho datta  
kakegae no nai toki to shirazuni watashi wa sugoshite ita  
imawa tada taisetsu ni shinobuyou I will embrace the feeling~"_

So this was why Minako asked me that question...and why she reacted the way she did when I told her that I liked songs that make me happy.

I was the reason why Minako would wear that beautifully bright smile of hers; even though I'm a pretty boring guy, even though I was bad at being honest with my feelings...she was happy being with me.

And then I realized.

Intentionally or unintentionally, I may have ended up hurting her regardless.

Should I really have kept quiet about my feelings and not confessed my love for her?

"_Don't... If you love me in return, then don't tell me. It would hurt too much to know..."_

She said that and yet...

It seems that, no matter which way I look at it, Minako was going to get hurt in the end.

If I had confessed to her, then Minako would've suffered because she wouldn't be able to stay by my side.

The other option... The one I chose by listening to her and not telling her how I feel... She disappeared without ever knowing that I felt the same way.

It was then that I noticed something trickling down my face.

Reaching up, I touched my cheeks and pulled away to find my fingers wet with tears.

I was crying...

(I hadn't cried since Mom and Dad died...)

My heart wrenched painfully as I tangled my hands into my hair and bent over.

_It hurts...like I'm being torn apart from the inside out..._

But are these tears truly mine...?

_She's as much a part of me as I am a part of her._

Or are these tears _hers_...?

_Minako..._

Forging an unbreakable bond...it doesn't change the fact that she's no longer _here._

_Minako..._

No longer could I hold back my feelings as I heard my voice singing the last words to the song that I'd finally come to know as _Memories of You_.

"_Kimi wa ne tashika ni ano toki watashi no soba ni ita  
itsudatte itsudatte itsudatte sugu yoko de waratteita  
nakushitemo torimodosu kimi wo I will never leave you~"_

_Minako, I love you too..._

**Fool Social Link: XXII – MAX!**

**Author's Note: And so this social link comes to a close. At first glance, Minato had to hang out with Minako every chance he had. I'd like to give a big thank you to Gin Nanashi for helping out and made sure we saw this to the end. Personally, we both we're going to cry our eyes out. Are you guys crying your eyes out too? Make sure that you leave your reviews on how this social link did overall! Will we see another story done like this? And since this story is complete it will fade into the shade of memory… If there was a song that describes this social link, it would be LoveStruck by EGOIST. If any of you are interested into listening to the song, check it out on Grooveshark. A new poll will be made and make sure to answer the question! And now some words from my partner Gin Nanashi:**

**"Hello, everyone! I haven't said much before now but I'm glad to see that you all enjoyed this story. I was a bit wary about adding all the details that I did but, since you all seem content with it, I guess I did pretty well. ;P I would also like to thank those who reviewed and especially **_**KazuyaYamura**_**, **_**TrueSuffering**_** and **_**Ari Moriarty**_** for keeping up with it so...THANK YOU! And, of course, I can't forget to thank the lovely **_**ReachingOutFES**_** for giving me the chance to help her out with this awesome idea so...THANK YOU, PARTNER! Well, that's all I've got so...until another time then! :)"**

**If you want an epilogue, then please voice your opinions!**

**Show support for this and make sure to send those reviews in! Sayonara…**


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